Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Only my OCs.
Chapter 10: White Thunder: Part 1
The sun was only just rising over Reefside as Zoey, Jenna and Andy, wearing workout gear, jogged around the lake on Tommy's property.
"I don't feel like we actually do this anymore." Andy said as he paced himself with the girls, "It's like we've put our actual Ninja training on the back-burner."
"We've still been training," Jenna laughed, "just not Ninja training. We've had to hold back quit a bit with the newbies. Don't want to bruise them."
"They're pretty tough and resilient. I think we need to up the difficulty on the courses. It seems too easy, even for them."
Zoey laughed with them for a moment before she started to get dizzy, "What?" She slowed down and had to stop, trying to clear her vision.
The other two backtracked to her side to check on her, "Zoey?" Jenna bent over her friend, concerned, "Are you okay? Is it Phaedra?"
"I… I think… so…" Andy caught her before she could hit the ground.
"Tommy!" Jenna yelled into her morpher, "Zoey's been pulled again. We're carrying her back from the lake."
"Meet me at the back door."
"You've got it." They ran through the woods until they reached the house, "Back here." She led Andy to the back to meet Tommy at the door.
"Come on," Tommy said, gesturing them in, "let's get her into her room. I was sure that Phaedra was done doing this to her."
"Remember, it may not be her." Jenna explained as Andy laid Zoey on the bed, "She was pulled by the Mystic Mother twice."
"Right." They straighten her covers before standing back at the door, "I had just gotten some energy readings out in the middle of the woods."
"Do you need some help with that?" Jenna asked, wryly, "There's no telling how long they'll keep Zoey for. I could use a distraction."
"Why not. Why don't you two come down to the lab with me? We'll call the others to go with us once we have more details and the coordinates."
1-2-3-4-5
"Mom!" Zoey looked around the forest, confused, "Mom! Where are you?" She turned in a circle to take in her surroundings, "This is the field. The last battle site." She tugged her hair in frustration, "Why am I back here?"
"Because I need you to see."
Zoey turned around as she recognized the voice behind her, "You." She was right. It was the Woman in White. The Mystic Mother. Rita Repulsa. "Why?"
"Watch."
The scene before her changed, and the young red-head from before was picking up some wands off the ground. After looking around in sadness, she started to head off the field when a past Mystic Mother showed up in front of her, "Milady?" The red-head bowed her head in courtesy before asking, "What do I do?"
"Take this." The older lady held out a thick tome, bound in leather, "This is the Xenotome. The Book of the Unknown. In it is everything we do not know. It is written in the language of the Ancients. I'm sure you can read that, yes?"
"Of course." The red-head laid the wands on top of the book in awe, "These symbols on the book, they're the symbols of the Mystics."
"Of the five you know, yes."
"Wait, what does that mean?"
"It means that nothing is ever set in stone. Just because there's always been five Mystics, doesn't mean it's destined to stay that way." She paused, "There is a prophecy that you must take to heart. This is not the end of the battle. It is only just beginning. You must be prepared."
"What do I do?"
"This realm has always relied on magic for it's safety. Magic and the Mystics." She took a step closer, "I have gifted you with a new home, since yours was destroyed. It will have many books, potions, ingredients and other tools to aid you in your studies. I've also included current, human, technology that will update itself when necessary." She touched to girl's forehead, causing a small light to flow into the girl, "And now you have the knowledge to use that technology. You, my dear Udonna, will mentor the new Mystics and help them destroy the evil. Once and for all."
As she held out her hands and presented a wooden wand, larger than the others, to to the girl. "The snowflake crystal on top represents your element of snow."
Udonna laid down the items in her arms and took the wand presented to her, "But, I'm not a Mystic. What do I need a wand for?"
"You, like the future Mystics, will be able to use your wands to protect this realm with unrivaled power." She smirked, "You now have a niece to look after. You can start training her in the arts and study the book yourself. In the meantime, you could use some practice with this Snow Staff."
"Snow Staff." The girl sighed, "What kind of practice?"
"Have you ever heard of the Power Rangers?"
"No. What are they."
"A group of heroes that won't be seen until 1993. You're to take the staff and, with the right incantation, be able to morph into a Mystic Warrior of your own. A little different from the ones destined in the prophecy, but you'll be a great mentor."
"Really?" The young woman look down at the wand in her hands, "How do you know that I'm the right one to handle this?"
"Faith."
"Faith." The girl nodded and looked back up, "What's the prophecy."
"You will find it in the book, but it is quit clear. 'When evil rises again, five mystical warriors from the human realm will step forward.' They will be the new Mystics. They will use the wands and they will combat the evil forces when they come."
"And we'll win?"
"Nothing is ever certain. There are no guarantees, Udonna. You must always expect the unexpected. Good will always triumph over evil. If it's not the new Mystics, then it will be the ones after them. But you must have faith, as I do. Faith, Udonna."
The scene faded and Zoey was left with the Mystic Mother who had brought her here, "Five?" She shook her head, "None of those wands had a star on them."
"You're right, they didn't. Like I told her, just because there has always been five, doesn't mean it has to stay that way. The prophecy foretells of five new warriors to take over the old Mystic's wands. It doesn't say anything about new wands created after the battle. Udonna's wand was made by me and it's not in the book."
She turned to the young girl and held out her hand, "For you." Zoey looked down and smiled, "I knew you'd recognize it."
It was a purple six-point crystal star with crescent moons and a sun in the center. The crystal was similar to the ones on top of the wands, "It almost looks like the design on the back of my necklace." She reached out and picked up the crystal, already on a chain, "What, no wand?" She laughed as she placed it around her neck.
"You've only just started using spells outside of the dream-realm. Until the evil awakens and you find the realm, because no one can do it for you, then you can activate the crystal to create the rest of the wand."
"It's weird, you know."
"What's that?"
"I've been training for over a year in the Mystic Arts. Jenna's been right there with me the entire way. She was my encouragement; my cheerleader. Outside of Tommy, she's always been my rock. Two halves of the same coin. We became Ninjas at the same time. Went through high school, always together, and college. We did all of the same sports and activities, in and out of school. We both became Rangers, almost at the same time. Both of us bonded to Dino Gems and had our DNA altered. And we've become Rangers for a second time."
She looked up with a sigh, "I know we do other things separately, but important things like this, we've always done it together. We've always had each other's back. It's weird, now, knowing that I'm destined to be a Ranger again without her." She chuckled, "Oh, well. She should start spending more time with Hunter anyways. Knowing him, he's probably going to be proposing soon."
Zoey looked around, "Is there anything else you needed me to see?"
"Yes." She held out her other hand, "This." Zoey gasped when she saw silver wolf head in between two crossed prisms on a chain.
"Is this… Jenna?"
"Oh, my dear girl. You may have been born in the Magical Realm, but yours and Jenna's destinies became entwined years ago. As you said, you're two halves of the same coin. I would never dream of separating a formidable team like the Angel Grove Angels."
Zoey winced, "Really? Come on. That's low, even for you."
"Sorry. Couldn't resist." She held up the necklace and a book, "This is the work your mother has been teaching you and more. Teach your friend how to read the language of the Ancients. Teach her the spells, incantations, potions and history. Teach her as you continue to learn yourself. When the time comes, you two will make great witches, Mystics, for the Magic Realm. And I can't wait to see what you can accomplish."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." She stepped forward in warning, "Unfortunately, your mother's strength is waning, and I'm going to be helping her bring you here for your lessons more often. Don't worry," she held up a hand, "I'll make sure it's not during school hours or in public. But we need you to get as mastered as you can as soon as possible. You're going to need it, for when you find the Magic Realm." She took a breath, "There are changes coming your way. Dark times are ahead for your team. You're going to need as much power as you can get."
She turned to leave, "Oh," she paused before smiling over her shoulder, "one more thing. Remind my former minion to remember his beginnings and that he should be patient. He, more than anyone, should understand the torment one goes through."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll see."
1-2-3-4-5
Zoey sat up and noticed she was in her room. Feeling something in her hand, she looked down to see Jenna's wolf necklace. Smiling, she reached up and felt her own hanging on her neck with the necklace her parents gave her. She got up off her bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she got out, she was refreshed and ready to restart her day. She looked at the clock and noticed that it had only been a few hours. She went to her dresser and opened her jewelry box.
She found what she was looking for in a special compartment. Holding it up to the light, the Pink Ranger, and future Star Mystic, smirked.
1-2-3-4-5
"How's Zoey?" Kira asked as Jenna came down the stairs.
"Still breathing." The Ice Ninja smirked as she looked at the teens, "Something you should know, because I don't think you noticed the last time, is that Zoey tends to have a lot of excess energy when she wakes up from her little field trips." She paused, "Well, depending on what she was doing on those trips. Sometimes she's so drained, she has to drag herself out of bed."
"Filed trips, training exercises, psychotic breaks;" Andy shrugged, "whatever you want to call it, just know that if it's not the draining kind, and there's no bad guy to beat up, she will be putting you through your paces on the training field. And… you… will… hurt."
The teens looked at each other, suddenly scared, "Is it wrong of me to suddenly hope for a bad guy to show up?" Ethan muttered.
"Uh, Tommy?" Hayley called over her shoulder, "I think we may have something." Tommy ran over and looked at the computer screen, which showed a sunflower monster wandering through downtown Reefside.
"Unbelievable." He sighed, shaking his head.
"There's your bad guy." Jenna said brightly, making Andy laugh.
"Any particular reason for that guy?" Kira asked, trying to ignore the other two.
"It's hard to tell." Tommy said, frowning. "It seems like he's actually looking for something." They watched as the monster continued wandering through the city, not destroying anything or chasing civilians.
"Well it's not gonna like what it finds." Conner pointed to the screen, "Come on guys." He looked to the other four, who nodded.
"What's going on?" They looked over to see Zoey coming down the stairs.
"Conner," Jenna looked at the Red Ranger, "you four go on, I'll fill her in."
"You've got it." He looked at the others, "Ready?"
"Ready!"
"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"
"DINO POWER!"
After they left, Tommy turned to his sister, "How are you feeling?"
"Energized." She smiled, "Now, what did I miss?"
"I'll fill you in, but I want you to wait to go out there. At least until I know you'll be okay to handle a fight."
"Big brother is worried about me." She hugged him, "Don't. I'm fine. More than."
"Good. Now, missing gem's energy signature was found in the woods. When we went looking for it, it was gone." Jenna pointed to the screens, "We've been searching for them, but before we could find anything, that freak popped up."
"I am getting so tired of flower monsters. They are so unoriginal." She squinted, "Wait, what was that?" A white blur sped on the scene and took out the monster before taking off down the street. Tommy and Hayley looked up at the two girls, just as confused.
"You guys saw that, right?" Conner asked, bewildered.
"Yeah," Tommy said, "we're still trying to figure out what it was."
"We'll try and follow it. Come on!"
As they took off, Zoey leaned on her brother's shoulder, "Want us to catch up?"
"Not yet. Let's see what they find first." When the teens reached the plaza, a figure in white stepped out from behind a column, "And there's the missing Dino Gem." The new Ranger had black stripes, a red visor and a short sword at his waist.
"Whoa, who is that?" Kira asked, surprised.
"And how come he gets the phat helmet?" Ethan complained.
"Seriously?" Zoey rolled her eyes, "He's complaining about the helmet?"
"This guy a friend of yours Doctor O?" Conner asked as he contacted their teacher.
"Never seen him before." Tommy said, leaning forward.
"Ok!" Conner nodded, and ran towards him.
"What's he doing?" Jenna exclaimed.
"Don't come any closer!" The White Ranger barked at him. Conner stopped, surprised, "You'll force me to do something I don't want to do."
"What do you mean by that?" Conner challenged, making Jenna roll her eyes.
"Let me show you." The White Ranger drew his dagger, which looked like a feather. "White Drago Sword!" He waved it through the air, and arrows appeared in front of him. "Laser arrows!" The arrows flipped in the air and pointed at the Rangers. "Fire!" He called, and they shot at the Rangers, blasting them.
"You had to ask that, didn't you?" Andy complained, glaring at Conner.
Conner sat up and, ignoring his friend, looked at the new Ranger, "Was that really necessary?!" Andy just put his hand to his head in resignation.
"That was just a warning." The White Ranger replied, and swung his sword down. He disappeared in a flash of white, leaving the Rangers confused.
1-2-3-4-5
As they waited for the others to return, the ones in the lab watched the monitors as it did an analysis of the new Ranger.
"Nothing yet?" Tommy asked, looking over at Hayley.
"Nothing. I can't get any sort of reading on his genetic make-up." The red-head said, looking frustrated, "It's like the Ranger powers bonded with his own DNA and it's all jumbled into one."
"Like the gem created the morpher on it's own." Zoey surmised, staring at the screen as the analysis ran across it.
"Precisely."
"Hey!" Ethan greeted as the still morphed teens jumped up the stairs to join them.
"How's it going?" Kira asked, carrying her helmet under her arm.
Zoey reached over and slapped both Ethan and Conner on the back of their heads.
"Ow!" Conner rubbed his head as he ducked away, "What was that for?"
"First of all, Ethan," She glared at the Blue Ranger, who shrank away from her, "you had more things to worry about than how phat the guy's helmet was. Never ogle at an Evil Ranger. They're always going to be stronger than you, so you have to double your guard." He just grumbled, "And Conner, never ask a bad guy to explain himself if he's warning you away. You'll never like the explanation."
"Especially an Evil Ranger." Jenna nodded in agreement.
Before they could respond, the alarm connected to the computer blared, and they found that the White Ranger had reappeared.
Ethan just sighed, "Oh great, he's back."
"And looking for more trouble no doubt." Kira growled.
"You guys better get over there." Tommy told them, looking worried. "Make sure he doesn't go medieval on any civilians."
"Good thinking." Conner agreed.
"Let's go!" Ethan called, and they put their helmets back on and hurried back out to face the White Ranger again.
"You two stay here," Tommy held up a hand, "for now. We don't know what kind of power this guy has, so let's just hold off for a moment."
"He's right. Let them handle this and we'll just assess the situation." Zoey smirked, "Then we'll go in and kick some evil Ranger butt."
1-2-3-4-5
"Hey, back so soon?" Conner called as they reached the White Ranger, who had his back to them. "I thought you made your point the last time." They fell into fighting stances, ready to fight.
"I've only just started." The White Ranger turned around as he spoke. "You want some more?" Irritated with his attitude, the four ran at him. "Fools."
He met the Rangers head on, slicing Kira and Ethan with his sword. Conner tried to block him, but he was easily overpowered and thrown with the other two. When the White Ranger turned to Andy, the Green Ranger made a gesture with his arms, gathering green and black energy around him.
"Call to the beast inside! Free the Bear!" Andy's bear erupted from his chest and charged after the White Ranger. Unprepared, their foe didn't have time to defend himself and was thrown back into a wall.
"What's wrong?" Andy smirked, "Don't like being on the other end of an attack?"
The White Ranger just laughed as he held up his sword, "Well, well, well. Looks like I've found a worthy opponent after all." He sliced at the air and sent more than a dozen arrows the four teens.
Andy was able to Ninja streak to avoid the arrows, but one clipped him in the shoulder, "Come on, Green Ranger!" The White Ranger smirked, "You can do better than that." He sent another round of arrows, forcing Andy to use lighting to keep them off him and his friends.
"Weaklings." He scoffed at the Rangers, amused, before racing toward them so fast, even Andy couldn't stop him, as he cut an X across their chests. "That's gotta hurt," he smirked as he landed a away from them as their suits exploded from the attack. "Too easy." The White Ranger turned his back on them.
"Alright, what's the deal?!" Conner demanded, as he shakily stood back up on. "We tried to be nice, just extending a little Ranger love, and this is what we get?"
"Conner, enough." Andy said, trying calm their leader down.
"I'm not here to make friends." The White Ranger replied, amused.
"Then what is it? What do you want?" Conner asked, ignoring Andy comment.
"That isn't something you need to know." The White Ranger shook his head. "All that's important right now is that there are four Rangers too many. And I'm here to change that."
"Four?" Andy muttered, confused, "What?"
"Go for it!" Conner issued the challenge as Andy shook his head. They all raced to face each other again, with the new Ranger easily overpowering them.
"That should do it." The White Ranger laughed as he knocked Ethan to the ground.
"You think we're just going to walk away?" Kira asked as they helped Ethan up.
"Not gonna happen." Ethan said as he and Kira drew their blasters.
"Stop!" Andy yelled out, but the White Ranger was faster, blasting them again before they could get a shot off.
"No!" Conner rushed to his friends sides. "You guys!" They groaned, trying to get back to their feet.
"Alright!" Fed up, Ethan pushed himself up, aiming his blaster at the White Ranger. "Party time is over!"
"Wait! Don't!" Tommy's cry stopped Ethan in his tracks. They looked around as he ran over, already morphed, and tried to pull the weapon from his grasp.
"What's the matter?" Ethan demanded furiously, lowering his blaster.
"We don't know what he's capable of." Tommy explained as he looked over at the White Ranger, who had let out a small laugh. "He's got powers we might not be able to deal with." He turned away from his students and confronted their opponent. "We don't want to hurt you. Tell us why you're here."
"Why am I here?" He turned away, as if he was thinking this through. "Let me see..." he mused for a moment. "To defeat you?"
"Why do evil Rangers always have to resort to sarcasm?" Andy wondered.
"That does it!" Ethan had had enough, and he and Kira rushed at him again with their weapons.
"Wait! No!" Tommy cried out, but it was too late. He blocked their attacks and slashed across their fronts several times, tossing them over the side of the balcony, down to a lower level. Tommy ran to help the pair, and Andy checked on Conner.
"This is getting out of hand." He said, helping the Red Ranger up, "We can't beat him. We don't know enough about him yet."
"That doesn't mean we stop trying." Conner told said as they rand down to help the others. They got there just as Tommy was forced to demorphed. Glaring, they tackled the White Ranger away, trying to put an end to the fight, "You're messing with the wrong dude." Conner warned as they struggled to hold the White Ranger.
"Are you seriously still trying to reason with him?" Andy asked as the White Ranger laughed, and struck them back, sending them into a wall, and forcing them into a demorph like the others.
"You were saying?" The White Ranger mocked as the other came over to help.
"You alright?" Tommy asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I think so." Conner nodded.
"You've been warned, Power Rangers! Stay out of my way, or be destroyed!" The White Ranger warned, having had enough of them. He then raced off, disappearing.
"Guys, we've got big trouble." Tommy spoke softly, shaking his head.
1-2-3-4-5
Back at the lab, the Rangers sat on the steps in front of the computers, covered in dirt, as well as cuts and bruises and thinking back to the fight. Hayley and the girls sat behind them.
"It wasn't supposed to go this way… was it?" Ethan spoke up.
"An evil White Ranger? No." Tommy said, shaking his head, sitting on the steps with them, "Of course, it's been known to happen."
"You should know that better than anyone." Zoey pipped up, nudging his back.
"So, what do we do?" Kira asked.
"How are we supposed to fight him, if we can't get near him?" Conner asked. Tommy didn't speak for a moment, sighed, then stood up.
"We figure out who this is, and what he wants. " He turned to face them again. "Before it's too late."
"The way I see it, you've got two choices." Zoey said, getting their attention, "Let your anger at the situation cloud your judgement in battle…"
"Like it did today." Jenna stared at Ethan, who squirmed.
"... or," Zoey said, continuing, "You can train more, and get better."
"Because he may not be a better fighter than you out of the suit," Andy nodded, "as the power in the gem is what caused all the damage today. So, if we work harder with our training, get ourselves stronger, it might make our gems stronger."
"Then we'll have a better chance." Kira nodded, "I'm so in."
As the others nodded, Zoey stood up, "We didn't join Tommy, as we wanted to make sure I was at a hundred percent and I didn't have another spell on the same day." She walked down the steps and hugged her brother, "I'm grateful. But my day will come with that Ranger, and I won't hold back. Understand?" He nodded, "I won't cross the line. I can't. I don't have it in me." She looked at the others, "We have to remember something really important about evil Rangers."
"They have no control over what they are doing." Jenna said, joining her, "Unlike Hunter and Blake, who was basically brainwashed, most evil Rangers are under spells. We need to break whatever hold was placed on him."
"We're Rangers." Zoey looked at her brother as they shared a smile, "It's our job to save people. That includes evil Rangers."
1-2-3-4-5
"Hold up!" Zoey grabbed Jenna's arm to keep her from going upstairs, "Let's sit." The other three had already left for their homes and Tommy, Hayley and Andy were sitting at the computers. They looked over as the girls came back. "We gotta talk."
"What's going on?" Tommy asked, looking concerned, "Is this about your dream?"
"Yes, it is." She sighed before looking at her friends, "So, I had it confirmed that I was basically going to be a Power Ranger again after this team."
"I knew it." Tommy muttered, smiling at his sister's glare, "You're just like me."
"Well, it's not just me anymore."
"What do you mean?" She looked over at Jenna and quirked an eyebrow.
"Not fair!" She threw her hands up as the others laughed, "The whole magic deal was your thing. That's why you've been training with your mom. I have no connection to the Magic Realm. Why me?"
Zoey pulled her Star crystal out of her shirt to show everyone, "It's not about any kind of connection to the Magic Realm that made her choose you. It's your connection to me." She handed over the Wolf crystal to her friend, "Mystic Mother wanted you with me. She said that, though I was born in the Magic Realm, our destinies were twined together years ago. Apparently, we're stronger together. Kind of reiterating what she hinted at over the summer."
"Well, we could have told you that." Her brother smiled
Jenna took the crystal and studied it for a moment. Sighing, she slipped it over her head and stared at her friend, "Well, it's nice knowing I'll be there. I'll always have your back. No matter what."
"Always." Zoey held up another necklace, "Here. I had bought this for you to give to you on your birthday, but I'd like for you to have it now."
"Oh, wow." She smiled at the silver wolf in purple resin, "It's beautiful."
"Read the back."
She flipped it over to an unfamiliar symbol carved into it, "Is that the language of the Ancients that you study?"
"Yes it is." She held up another necklace with a gold kitsune in pink resin, "The symbols on the back are basically the Magic Realm's version of Yin and Yang."
"I love it, thanks."
"You're welcome." She turned toward her brother, "By the way, I have a message for you from the Mystic Mother."
"There's no telling what that woman has to say to me," he chuckled, "especially after everything that's happened."
"She said to, and I quote, 'Remind my former minion to remember his beginnings and that he should be patient. He, more than anyone, should understand the torment one goes through', end quote." She laughed when he looked confused, "That was my feeling too. I had no clue what she meant, but, knowing her, it will eventually reveal itself."
"Let's just hope, whatever it is, it's not life or death." He yawned, ready for bed, "I am so ready to be done with those. I'm getting too old to deal with it on the daily."
They all laughed, unaware of the danger that in wait for them.
To be continued…
Catch you on the flipside!